Yellow Fingernail Polish
by coffee-stained lips
Summary: Cat Valentine likes yellow fingernail polish. Oneshot. Cat-centric, CatBeck


**I like the idea of revolving a fic around a simple object. So, ta da, here this is. A bit more Cat-centric than Bat, but Bat nonetheless.**

Cat Valentine likes yellow fingernail polish.

It's bright and sunny, so much like her. The cheerfulness radiates from her nails so passionately when she takes the mini brush over them. When she's done and dry she holds her hands out in front of her in the mirror, admiring how the redness of her hair and the yellowness of her fingertips create a uniquely pretty look.

At school all the girls have red and pink. It's so…unimaginative. Dull. Routine. But Cat has these lively nails with yellow color that _totally_ outshines the girlish reds and pinks on their fingers. There's always this one girl, though, who has a much different color. Jade is that girl. She has this glum black fingernail polish that is the complete opposite of her optimistic self. She doesn't understand how pessimistic with her nail polish Jade can be.

During lunch Beck comes over and sits by Cat. He would've sat with his black-clad girlfriend but she was sick at home. So Beck decides to spend his Jade-less time with the Valentine girl, who's the total opposite of his gal pal (in attitude _and_ polish). He notices her choice of color. It's a bit different for Beck to see the warm shade of yellow when he is so often surrounded by the overbearing tone of black.

"What up with the polish?" Beck asks with a smirk, "I've never seen yellow."

"It's my favorite color!" Cat exclaims, happy someone has taken an interest in something she does, "Yellow is so nice! Unique too! Wait…why? Do you not like it?" Beck senses the sudden change in Cat's voice; she can sometimes drastically switch emotions when something wrong is said. He becomes alert swiftly and pats her hand in assurance.

"Nah, it's just real different." he says. She grins in relief. "But…it's personally not _my_ choice of fingernail polish." This makes her grin disappear but she is not saddened—more so curious. Yellow has always been her favorite because of the cheery-like atmosphere it gives off. How could he not like the cheeriness?

"You wear fingernail polish, Beck?" she asks. He gives her a look of shocked confusion, and then bursts into a fit of giggles.

"No! No." he says after the long laughing fit subsides, "I mean on girls. No offense to you but I like it when girls wear black." _Black?_ Cat thinks with much interest. Black for her is by far the most unattractive shade. Nothing against those who prefer black but she has found it to be a disconsolate color—it makes all your joviality wash away. She just cannot comprehend the idea of preferring black over yellow.

"Really?" she asks, "Is that why you like Jade?" Beck shrugs, and gets a faraway look in his eyes. Cat can tell he's thinking of Jade right now, maybe worrying about her nasty cold, maybe thinking of her cynical behavior while they hang out in his RV.

"One of the reasons." he says, "I sorta like the way she's so dark. It's unusual to find someone like that, which is why I think Jade's so special." For some weird reason Beck calling Jade special makes Cat a little depressed. She can sense the love in Beck's eyes and voice when Jade's the subject of conversation. It makes her long to have him get so blissful at the mention of her name. _Cat. Cat. Cat._ Cat's not any worse than _Jade. Jade. Jade._ Why is it that Beck finds Jade's name fairer and pleasanter?

That night Cat paints ominous black over her positive yellow. Maybe Beck will notice the change, and like it. Maybe he'll see Cat can too be beautiful with black fingernail polish like Jade. He might even find her _more_ beautiful. What an idea!

In the hallway he and Guess-who are sitting on the short staircase, talking about heavy metal bands and Tom Cruise flicks. Cat heaves a great breath; _Time to shine, Valentine,_ she thinks. Putting on a so-Cat smile, she walks over to the couple.

"Oh, hey, dudes!" she squeaks cordially, causing them to look up (and glare, in Miss West's case) at her. "How're you?" She grips the rail in an attempt to show off her new fingernails. She begs Beck to notice—begs _very_ avidly.

"Bad _now_." Jade says, subtly (yet not so subtly) telling Cat to scram. Cat grows a bit scared of Jade's tone but doesn't leave the two; she won't leave until Beck sees her fingers.

"Fine, thank you." Beck replies with his kindness, "Uh, what's that, Cat?" He points to her nails, and she is very happy. Now she can see him get dreamy-eyed at her black-painted beauty, like he does with Jade.

"Just trying out a new shade." she says casually, "You like?" Beck blinks—his face holds puzzlement. This makes Cat perplexed also; he's supposed to be drooling over her new gothic nails, not staring confusedly at them.

"Uh…sure." Beck says with what sounds like he doesn't like them _at all_. Jade gives Cat another grave glower before taking Beck's hand in her (black) one, and he follows like an obedient puppy dog. Cat is staring at their retreating backs with shattered hope. He hadn't said that he liked the color, nor did he gain that glint in his eyes when he thought of Jade. What is wrong with her?

She realizes it's because she's _not_ Jade West. She doesn't wear black apparel and dark eyeliner and—most importantly—dark fingernail polish. She isn't rude and sardonic. Jade is all that. Cat wears bright colors and sparkling blush and—most importantly—_yellow_ fingernail polish. She's vibrant and sunny. She _is_ all that. It's not that Beck doesn't like her—it's that he doesn't like her being Jade. Perhaps he could love her as Cat, as bubbly, yellow-painted Cat Valentine. Because that's exactly what she is.

After that she never wears black nail polish again. Only yellow.

And, darn, does she like it.


End file.
